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The Elephanta Caves

The Elephanta Caves , located on Elephanta Island, or Gharapuri, about 11 Km off the coast of the Gateway of India, Mumbai, are a UNESCO World Heritage Site. A visit to these caves, excavated probably in the 6 th century CE, is awe-inspiring, and also thought-provoking. Over the years, I have visited the caves a number of times, and also attended a number of talks by experts in the fields of art, history and archaeology on the caves. Together, they help me understand these caves, their art, and the people they were created for, just a little bit better. Every new visit, every new talk, every new article I read about the caves, fleshes out the image of what the island and the caves would have been like, at their peak. I last wrote about the caves on this blog, in 2011, almost exactly 11 years ago. Since then, my understanding of the caves has, I would like to think, marginally improved. Hence this attempt to write a new and updated post, trying to bring to life, the caves of Elephan
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Publications

Print Publications
  • Domus India
    • Sculpting Temple Design (August 2018)
    • The Paintings of the Saspol Caves in Ladakh (October 2018)
    • The Demon's Tears - Water and Worship at Lonar (November 2018)
    • Nalknad Palace (February 2019)
    • Jain Heritage in Tamilandu (March 2019)
    • The Neelkanth Mahadev Temple of Alwar (May 2019)
    • Museum in Transit (June-July 2019)
    • Memory, Museums, and the Mahatma (October 2019)
    • Temples of the Yoginis (December 2019)
    • The Wonders of the Konark Museum (February 2020)
  • Rail Bandhu the official magazine of Indian Railways
  • Complete Wellbeing Magazine
  • Air Asia Magazine
    • Bloggers Diary: Coorg (March 2015)
  • Being Woman Magazine, Vol 2 Issue 9, November 2014
  • Dainik Bhaskar (Hindi Newspaper)
    • Sringeri - 14th April 2015 
    • Gokarna - 24th March 2015
    • Kolkata -10th Feb 2015
    • Tharangambadi - 30th Dec 2014 


  • YES Magazine, published by the Sai Youth of Maharashtra and Goa     
  • The Hindu Traveller, Bangalore
    • On the river at Wayanad -Issue dated 21st July 2013 
    • A Foaming curtain of white - Jog Falls - Issue dated 25th October, 2013
  • More than 30 of my stories - re-tellings of stories from Indian Mythology and Folk Tales, have appeared in  Bal Mukund - a publication of JK Yog. For details, read my posts on the books here.



    Online Publications


    • On The Alternative, an online magazine which strives to make sustainability a way of life


    • On Travel Thru History, a unique travel 'zine dedicated to exploring historical and cultural experiences

    • On Pocket Cultures - an independent site which aims to increase connections, awareness and understanding between different cultures


    • In The Mother, published from Rishikesh, Himalayas

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